SONOGRAPHIC STUDY OF PORTAL VENOUS SYSTEM THROMBOSIS IN LIVER-TUMORS

The study was carried out on a group of 21 patients with liver tumours (20 of them primary) and thrombosis of the portal venous system. Thrombosis in the left portal vein system was found in 10 patients, in the portal vein stem in 9 patients and in the portal confluence in 2 patients. In 15 patients thrombosis developed in the presence of a multicentric liver neoplasm. Proof of the presence of a thrombus on the main portal trunk in patients with documented liver tumour contraindicates surgical or non-surgical therapeutic manoeuvres. If a thrombus is incidentally found in the portal venous system, a careful search for a tumour in the portal vein systems is imperative. In case of any suspicious modification, fine needle-aspiration should be performed.